Making kama starts with roasting the grains until they smell warm and toasty, like popcorn or fresh bread. Once roasted, the grains are ground into a brown flour with a rich, nutty taste. The peas in the mix add protein, making kama surprisingly nutritious for something so simple.
You can eat kama in many ways. The most popular is to stir it into sour milk or yogurt until it becomes thick, then sweeten it with a little honey or sugar. You can also mix it into ice cream, sprinkle it over porridge, or shape it into little balls as a snack. Some people add berries from the forest.
For centuries, kama was a perfect food for people spending long days outdoors. It doesn't need cooking, it keeps well without refrigeration, and a small amount provides a lot of energy. Farmers, fishermen and travellers all carried kama pouches on long journeys.
Today kama is having a revival as a health food, because people have realised that this ancient Estonian tradition — eating whole roasted grains — is actually very good for you. You can buy kama in Estonian supermarkets, and some modern cafés use it to flavour cakes and smoothies.